The National Health Care Management Center is a multidisciplinary program of research, education and technical assistance oriented toward improving management of the health delivery system. Program faculty are drawn from the Wharton School (Business), the School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and others throughout the University. Programs in management are focused at the organizational level of the health system, including both inter- and intra-organizational issues, with a major thrust in the area of costs and cost containment. Center staff provide support to investigators developing new research programs and work closely with providers, payors, insurers and others in actual health system organizations in identifying research needs and conducting research. A number of specific continuing education programs are offered each year and focus on the dissemination of information from research while addressing practical problems of operating managers, regulators, policymakers, planners and others. An active Technical Assistance program provides contact with managers with actual problems that may be useful in defining research directions. The TA program is also actively engaged in dissemination activities through the NHCMC NEWSLETTER, working papers, and monographs.